Jetsettersblog

Family Holiday With The Adventure Company

From Kung Fu and pandas in China to the archaeological mysteries of Peru, The Adventure Company’s family trips are offering all the drama and excitement of Hollywood’s new releases this summer.

Below, The Adventure Company recommends the best trips and destinations for families looking to re-create the adventures of the silver screen.

An epic voyage around China - As seen in Kung Fu Panda; The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor; and The Forbidden Kingdom

China is the setting for three of this summer’s big family films and the Adventure Company’s Land of the Dragon tour encapsulates the thrills and enchanting scenery of each. Beginning in Beijing, families will visit the magnificent Forbidden City and the Great Wall before taking an overnight train to Luoyang. Here, you will see true Kung Fu masters in action at Song Shan, home to the legendary Shaolin Monks. And although they may not be of the high-kicking variety, the Giant Pandas at the Chengdu Breeding and Research Centre are still an incredible sight. Another major highlight of the tour is the Terracotta Army in Xian, which comes to life in a formidable fashion in the third film in the Mummy series. Families had better hope the army stays sleeping during their visit…

The 15-day Land of the Dragon tour departs on 17th August 2008 and costs from £2,219 per child (minimum age five) and £2,349 per adult. October half-term departures are also available from £1,569 per person. Prices include flights, transportation, activities and excursions as listed in the itinerary, plus the services of a knowledgeable local guide. No further local payments are necessary.

For further details on Land of the Dragon, see this link:

Fantasy lands – As seen in Journey to the Center of the Earth; Prince Caspian

Confession time – there are some places even The Adventure Company can’t take you, the centre of the Earth and Narnia being just two. But that doesn’t mean its trips can’t offer a taste of the same action.

The Journey to the Center of the Earth begins on a mountainous landscape before travellers are thrust deep beneath the surface of the earth on a voyage of the unknown. Learn the essential skills to prepare yourself for the journey – and visit the cave which legend says took Orpheus to the underworld - on the Bulgaria Activity Week. The first two days will be spent on challenges including orienteering, kayaking, walking and a rope course - all of which need to be successfully completed in order to win the key to the hotel for the next night. Families will then have their own underground adventure at the Devil’s Throat Cave, where it is said Orpheus started his journey into the depths of the earth.

Bulgaria Activity Week costs from £579 per child and £729 per adult for departures in August 2008. For full details, see this link:

Just like Narnia, the plains of Africa are home to strange and wonderful creatures – this is your chance to see Aslan in his natural habitat, ruling over the kingdom. The Adventure Company’s Rift Valley Adventure includes camping on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater and game drives in the Serengeti where you can spot giraffe, wildebeest, elephant and cheetah as well as mighty lions. The 10-day trip costs from £1,529 per child and £1,659 per adult in summer 2008.

For full details on the Rift Valley Family Adventure, see this link:

An Indianadventure in Peru – As seen in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Get your hat and whip at the ready for an Indiana Jones adventure in Peru on the Land of the Incas tour. Explore the archaeological wonders of the ‘lost city’ of Machu Picchu and Sillustani – a pre-Incan burial ground where you can hear about the traditions of mummifying bodies. But are the ancient mummies hiding any crystal skulls? Families will also visit the Incan capital of Cusco and the floating reed islands of Lake Titicaca. If this isn’t enough adventure, an Amazon Jungle Extension can be added on to the trip. Families will travel by plane and then by motorised canoe to a lodge on the Tambopata River where they will have two nights to explore the mighty Amazon rainforest.

There are four departure dates in August 2008 on the 15-day Land of the Incas tour, including two particularly for families with teenage children. Prices start from £1,979 per child and £2,229 per adult. The Amazon Jungle Extension is available at an extra cost.

For further details on Land of the Incas, see this link:

About The Adventure Company’s Family Adventures

The Adventure Company is a pioneer of family holidays, with almost a hundred inspiring journeys worldwide incorporating adventure activities, cultural discovery and wildlife encounters. The company’s dedicated family brochure includes Infant Adventures for children as young as two and Teenage Adventures, aimed at older kids looking for a bit more of a challenge.

Families travel together in small groups, meaning that both parents and kids can mix with like-minded people of their own age. With almost a third of family bookings containing only one adult, The Adventure Company has also established single parent departure dates on many of its trips.

All of The Adventure Company’s trips can be booked on a land-only basis for customers preferring to book their own international flights.

For further information on The Adventure Company, or to book any of the trips outlined above, see www.adventurecompany.co.uk  or telephone 0845 609 0890.

Goway Travel to Egypt

Goway Travel reports increasing demand for Egypt, with its Egypt-Land of the Pharaohs program drawing record numbers. One of Goway’s biggest sellers this year is the Mysteries & Magic of Egypt tour, a 15-day trip starting and ending in Cairo and including extensive sightseeing, a seven-night Nile Cruise and a visit to an oasis, with a starting price of $1,718.

A bonus offer of up to six free nights’ accommodation in a deluxe resort in the Red Sea town of Ein Sokhna is available. The traditional Classic Egypt tour includes Cairo sightseeing and four-night Nile Cruise. This nine-day tour is priced from $1,136 and offers the flexibility of adding extensions to Abu Simbel, Alexandria, Red Sea beach stays or a visit to Israel and Jordan. Easy add-ons are the five-day Jordan tour starting from $717 or the eight-day Holyland tour to Israel.

Some of the new programs being offered this year are the nine-day Highlights of Egypt and Israel tour that starts in Cairo and ends in Jerusalem and includes Cairo, Luxor, the Dead Sea, Massada, Qumran and Jerusalem. Another of the newly introduced tours is the 15-day Pyramids to Petra tour that starts in Cairo, ends in Amman and includes Cairo, Nile Cruise, Sinai, Red Sea, Petra and Amman all starting from $2,198.

AFRICAExperts is the exclusive division of Goway Travel that specializes in exciting safaris and vacations to this amazing continent.

For more information on these and other travel ideas, call 800-245-0920, email info@africaexperts.com or visit www.AFRICAExperts.com

Winchester Mansions South African a winner

Winchester Mansions, Cape Town’s beachfront boutique hotel, is the only South African property to make the 2008 Top 100 Best Value listing of the popular American travel publication - Budget Travel Magazine and TripAdvisor. Ranked 26th in the world, Winchester Mansions is featured alongside various other internationally renowned hotels such as Park Hotel in Tokyo, Swissotel in Berlin, Beausite Park Hotel in Switzerland, Renaissance Arts Hotel in New Orleans and many more.

“We are very proud of this remarkable achievement for Winchester Mansions. We always aim to give each of our guests the best experience possible at the best value, whether they be local travelers or from abroad,” said Nils Heckscher, managing director at Winchester Mansions.

The Top 100 Best Value awards were created to highlight the world’s most reliable hotels with an average room rate of $250 or less - giving travelers a reliable and satisfying experience at a reasonable price. The award-winners were selected based on TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index, which determines traveler satisfaction based on a variety of sources, including TripAdvisor reviews, travel articles and opinions from across the internet. TripAdvisor is the world’s leading source for hotel reviews and Budget Travel is the popular American travel magazine, founded by travel icon Arthur Frommer.

Winchester Mansions dates back to the 1920’s and is located on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard known as the Platinum Mile. This charming Cape Dutch hotel sets itself apart from the rest with its spectacular setting, stylish elegance and personalized service. The hotel offers 76 rooms in total with a wide variety of luxurious, tasteful rooms over three levels.

Gate Gourmet in the Middle East

Gate Gourmet, the world’s largest independent airline catering and logistics provider and a member of gategroup, has formed a joint venture with the Western Group of the United Arab Emirates to develop business in the Middle East.

The new company will be called Gate Gourmet Middle East. The joint venture, along with co-investor Sultan International Group, will focus on opportunities for strategic investments and flight kitchen development in the Gulf region. Offices will be established in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

“The Middle East is experiencing spectacular growth in aviation and we are excited to plant the Gate Gourmet flag in the region,” said Guy Dubois, president and CEO designate of Gategroup. “Other Gategroup companies, such as deSter, eGate Solutions, Harmony, Performa and Elan already are doing business in the Gulf, and we look forward to new opportunities for Gate Gourmet, our core company,” he said.

Dubois noted that Gate Gourmet has successfully built relationships with Middle Eastern carriers, such as Qatar, Etihad, Emirates, Gulf Air and Royal Jet, in other parts of the world and is pleased to bring its expertise into their home territory. “Our reputation for best-in-class performance in airline catering and related aviation services, combined with the regional business expertise of Western Group and Sultan International Holding, will give the venture a solid foundation in which to participate in that booming market,” he added.

Airport VIP lounge videos

A new online VIP airport lounge booking system has been created by trip-extras.com where users can view video clips of the lounges for a glimpse of the VIP action before they book what is fast becoming a holiday ‘must’.

The lounge videos have already doubled bookings as travelers begin to appreciate what VIP lounges can offer them. Away from the noise and crowds of the busy airport terminal, passengers can enjoy peace and relaxation with free snacks and drinks in addition to facilities like TV and Wi-Fi.

Launched as an initial test on four of the world’s key airport lounges - Dubai, Dallas, Gatwick and Singapore - the videos will feature airports from around the world in the next few months.

The videos are dispelling the perception that airport lounges are reserved for business travelers and instead show the reality that anyone is welcome regardless of airline or class of travel. Families, couples, individuals and small groups can all enjoy the VIP experience.

With a choice of over 100 lounges worldwide and prices starting from just $26 USD, an airport lounge is also surprisingly affordable.

Marriott Global Summer Savings

Summer savings at Marriott, Renaissance and Courtyard hotels are popping up all over the world with great values on rooms and vacation packages. The worldwide savings can be found at www.marriott.com for dates and special rates at city and beach hotels from Boston to Bangkok, Palm Springs to Phuket.

Escape! Packages: Marriott’s best selling Escape! packages are offered across Marriott and Renaissance branded hotels worldwide.

Go to he Marriott banner below, choose your dates and select any one of five package types — family, golf, romance, dining and spa.

Also available are Family Fun, Music & Romance at Renaissance properties as well as themed packages at select Renaissance Hotels & Resorts. Marriott Hotels & Resorts worldwide are also offering packages for summer as well as Stay for Breakfast packages; the breakfast packages are also available at JW Marriottt properties.

Courtyard is also offering summer weekend rates and Marriott Rewards members who book 10 rooms or more can earn 25,000 Marriott Rewards bonus points per qualifying meeting or event held between June 1 and Sept. 30, 2008 and paid for with any American Express Card. This is in addition to the Marriott Rewards points members regularly earn for their meetings or events.

Hilton HHonors New Earnings Mall

Hilton HHonors members can earn points when making purchases at the newly introduced Hilton HHonors Earnings Mall.

Hilton HHonors members can use their account number and pin to access the Hilton HHonors Earnings Mall for exclusive offers on thousands of brand-name gifts, fashion accessories, home furnishings, fine food and wine, as well as the latest high-tech gadgets and sports gear for Father’s Day.

The Hilton HHonors Earnings Mall is yet another way Hilton HHonors members can earn points, which can be redeemed for complimentary stays, dining and travel experiences, merchandise and more.

Members can now shop and earn points, without leaving their home. The Mall presents a variety of offers that are updated on a regular basis.

Members can even sign-up for email alerts that notify them when there’s a new product or offer. Each offer will allow users to earn bonus points for purchases at hundreds of participating retail partners.

For more information, visit

www.HiltonHHonorsEarningsMall.com

Cape Grace Private Yacht Charters

Cape Grace unveiled its new way to see Cape Town - by private yacht.

Available exclusively for Cape Grace guests, the Spirit of the Cape is a 56-foot Aicon fly-bridge luxury motor yacht docked in Cape Town’s yacht marina, directly in front of the hotel’s Bascule Bar with private access for hotel guests. Excursions on the yacht include gourmet picnic lunches prepared by Cape Grace’s team of chefs.

Guests dine while taking in views of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head on the way to Clifton or Camps Bay Beach. For a more romantic option, guests can savor a Champagne and oyster sunset cruise down the Atlantic seaboard comfortably accommodated on the teak-covered deck.

The five-star charter vessel holds up to ten guests with two crew members who cater to every whim. The sleek interior is crafted by Sicilian designers and is complemented by the silhouette and high-performance hull, whose design earned international recognition from the first launching. Cape Grace Guest Liaisons will assist with yacht bookings at a fee of $650 per hour with a minimum charter duration of two hours.

For further information, visit www.capegrace.com

General Tours Launches Luxury Fly-in Safari

General Tours World Traveler launched a limited-departure, all-inclusive Affordable Luxury safari, featuring two of East Africa’s premier camps and lodges.

Between now and early December – including the upcoming Great Migration season – travelers can choose from eight guaranteed departures, each limited to just 18 travelers. The program - with luxury accommodations, all meals, comprehensive safari excursions, and all on-tour transportation and flights - is priced at $3,449 during the Great Wildebeest Migration from July to October.

Departures in November and December are $2,999 per person. After an overnight and pre-safari briefing at Nairobi’s luxury Hotel Intercontinental, travelers head overland into the Great Rift Valley. Guests arrive for a three-night stay at the Malewa Wildlife Lodge in-time for lunch and an afternoon game drive through the surrounding Kigio Wildlife Conservancy.

After a 45-minute flight from Nairobi, guests arrive in the heart of the Masai Mara in-time for lunch at Little Governors’ Camp. An afternoon game drive that same day explores the National Reserve. A three-night, all-inclusive stay at Little Governors’ Camp is also included.

Departures are limited to 18 travelers, and all game-drives are done in open-air 4WD safari vehicles with just six passengers. Call 800-221-2216 for bookings and information.

For more information, click www.GeneralToursEvents.com/Kenya .

Air France Launches Congo Service

Air France began serving Pointe-Noire, in the Republic of the Congo, three times weekly. Departures are from Paris on Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday; return flights are Mondays, Fridays and Wednesdays.